[Todd4]

Hello all:

I think that people see mass transit in Omaha as being an extradonarily expensive undertaking that will take many years to accomplish. This preception is not helped when Mayor Fahey suggests 3 mile streetcar loops that cost $55 million.

The real mass transit options for Omaha should include a revamped bus system and the creation of Bus Rapid Transit lanes from park and rides along the interstate system.

I have not read of any public outcry about why Omaha is not taking steps in this direction. I assume that the public will be reactive to this transit situation when gas prices go over the $6 or $7 mark, although I thought the $4 mark might fuel some discussion.

What is everyone's opinion on this topic and do you think that Omahans are far sighted enough to make these investments soon?

[Dave1215]

I think the streetcar loop would be better served with streetcars on wheels.... have the look of a streetcar, but not tied to a rail or wire... that would (1) dramatically reduce implementation expense, (2) reduce impact to those on the route (since don't have to take that space from landowners, and (3) provides route flexibility since the streetcar can drive the new route without laying new track or overhead wire...

I think you could achieve the look/feel of streetcar without making it look like you are on a bus....

That would also provide flexibility of the Omaha Streetcar system when a major event comes in.

[Dave1215]

Also, here is a link to a comment I made on a different thread that might be relevant to this discussion... this was about mass transit in Omaha (not streetcar)...

http://www.city-data.com/forum/omaha...ml#post4147005

[billiefan2000]

todd, cause Omahans by in large are content and not as angry and outraged as they should be when it comes to city leaders incompetence


if we had the kind of outrage towards our town's leaders who sit around and do basically nothing


as Ernie Chambers does towards anyone he is miffed at, more things might get done here in Omaha



BTW

METRO AREA TRANSIT bus is a joke


it goes into counciltucky but not as much as it should




it dosent go into sarpy county at all




(once you get to harrison street, you got to walk towards wherever you want to go in sarpy county)



the number 30 on sunday for some reason cuts off at the old shopko area in north omaha (you got walk aout 2 miles to get to calhoun road or vice-versa on sundays)






and unless you want to go west, you wont catch any buses for that part of town except


express ones that run once a day on during the weekdays

[billiefan2000]

speking of west omaha and buses:


how come we havent had any updates on this

Omaha.com Metro/Region Section


Dodge express bus route coming? "YES" says Curt Simon of the Metro Area Transit